Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-01-31
OPIUM SMOKING LAW.

OPIUM SMOKING LAW.
To maintain an "opiumjoint" is al
ready crime. Section 307 of the Penal
Code visits fine and punishment upon who
soever "opens or maintains, to be resorted
to by others, any place where opium or
any of its preparations is sold or given
away to be smoked at such place" And
1t is made criminal also to sell or give
away opium or any of its preparations to
be there smoked. In addition. it is made
a misdemeanor to visit or resort to such
place for the purpose Of smoking opium.
Nevertheless the law is evaded, and about
the most difficult task of the police is to
break up these resorts. One Of the COM
mon forms of evasion is that of private
smoking rooms, where each visitor brings
his own supplies, and there is no pro-
prietor Of the place the police can reach.
Municipal ordinances are framed to include
such places, and under them opium smok-
ers are taken, and their "lay-outs," as
they are called, are seized. But the State
law does not go to this extent, as it should
Assemblyman Brooks now proposes, by
Dill he has Just introduced, TO make the
act of smoking opium at any place in the
State a criminal act. That stringent
measure OF this character is needed admits
of no doubt. The vice has grown so
rapidly, is so disastrous in its effects, and
once fastened upon victim is so difficult
Of removal, that the laws against its in
diligence can scarcely be too severe. 1t is
not necessary to point out the deadliness of
the opium habit; its inevitable results;
the wreck of body and mind it brings
about, nor the charge it puts
upon the cities and counties and
State. All these things are famil-
lar to the officials. The bill in ques-
lion should pass we cannot conceive of
reasonable objection. 1t is in direct line
with the power of the State to establish
police regulations to conserve the best in
terestS of society, 1t certainly does cross
at right angles the personal liberty
question, as viewed by those who oppose
all regulative measures of this character,
for it proceeds upon the same ground as do
propositions to prevent the selling of in
toxicating liquors. But in the matter of
the opium vice there happens to be no
powerful influence behind it to oppose the
suggested legislation. But if opium smoll-
ing is permitted smother ten or twenty
years growth, we an readily conceive of
interests becoming involved that would
antagonize any effort to check the evil.
Now is the time therefore. TO strike it. 1t
would be well for the State to add to the
law an inducement for its enforcement,
giving portion or all of the fines levied
for its infraction to officers for vigilance in
discovering and bringing offenders to pun
ishment, or even to go to the extent of au-
thoriZing the arrest and treatment of those
clearly victims of the habit The law
will not execute itself; behind it there is
moral force enough, but there is not that
vigilance on the part of police officials
necessary to uncovering and breaking up
crime that is secret in its character, and
which is very difficult TO prove II hides
in dark quarters, coyets the shadows of
night and barricades itself behind private
doors Fortunately, however, the victims
cannot conceal its effects. When they go
upon the highways their appearance is an
unerring index to their sin, and thus Off
gers are put upon inquiry and know who
are offenders, leaving only the establish
ment of the act of smoking to be made in
Court. Unless the vice is speedily stamped
out, the necessity will be upon the State
to establish hospitals for opium
incurables, for their number is in
creasing alarmingly. 1t is the belief
IN some countries that the vice is one of
The masquerade ones; that it is impos-
able to stamp out But this opinion OBJ
sains mainly in the quarters where it out
grew police regulation prior to vigorous
preventive steps being taken. In the in
terests Of humanity, if for no other reason,
The State should spare no effort TO prevent
tine further growth of the evil, for no
greater kindness can be done 70 the iyro
in this vice than to lock himupso securely
that the fangs of the terrible destroyer
cannot fasten upon him irretrievably. The
great public as it swings along in the rush of
everyday life may not perhaps fully re-
slize the present fesriully wide extent Of
The opium-smoking habit nor how many
thousands it has already taken into IFS
fatal embrace; hut the truth is known to
police officials and physicians. They know
that the vice seizes upon its victims very
frequently with giants strength after the
first act of indulgence. and that it hurries
the unfortunate TO ruin hundred times
mere rapidly than any other appetite. If